C-PRONE/ Chaperone - Circular Procurement Network
ProCirc aims to promote a successful up-scale and rollout of the results from ProCirc to other procuring agencies, suppliers and supply chains. Even beyond the duration of the ProCirc project. To achieve this, one of the activities is to set up C-PRONE, a permanent umbrella structure connecting projects and initiatives on circular procurement.C-PRONE is an acronym for Circular Procurement Network and it can be pronounced as 'chaperone' which in many languages means something like friendly supportive companion. The meaning of chaperone is a strong suggestion for what the platform should stand for: sharing and supportive to its participants.
There is a growing number of countries, regions and cities actually experimenting with circular procurement but there is no overarching body, network or platform to facilitate 'inter-initiative' sharing of insights and experiences. Initiatives to share between projects are ad hoc, often based on personal connections and accidental collaboration in international projects. With ProCirc we had the same experience, there is no 'one stop' first guidance on what is going on, which tools are available, who is working on which aspects, what has been done before, et cetera. That's why we added 'dissemination after the project' as a deliverable and aim to set up C‑PRONE as an umbrella for circular procurement initiatives to create a structural sharing platform and bridge this gap. C-PRONE aims to enable and facilitate international sharing between the existing networks and initiatives and individual participants.
In our perspective C-PRONE should grow towards an autonomous collaboration, coordinated and managed by its participants and funded by international organisations and governments. The initiative to start it up comes from ProCirc but in the future C-PRONE is envisioned to be an autonomous entity, known as the first source for anybody who want to get engaged in circular procurement.
Aims and goals of C-PRONE
C-PRONE aims to facilitate capturing and sharing of the latest experiences and insights on three levels:
1. Exchange of knowledge and build new alliances
- Facilitate direct exchange of insights and best practices between C-PRONE participants by several online means and one or two physical meetings/seminars per year.
- Organise the International Circular Procurement congress for countries, regions and cities but also companies and NGOs to enable and facilitate their sharing and learning processes. Preferably integrated in or back-to-back with ICLEI's Procura+ congress, since that is the international congress for sustainable, circular and innovative procurement. This way we avoid a lot of extra international traveling.
- Facilitate new collaborations and alliances for future projects and initiatives about circular procurement.
2. Body of knowledge
Establish an online body of knowledge for circular procurement, disclosing insights, tools, best practices and lessons learned from running and finished initiatives and projects, targeting anybody getting involved in circular procurement initiatives. Instead of building a new website we aim to use and connect existing websites. We are currently preparing the launch of a Community of Practice (CoP) on the Public Buyers Community Platfrom. You will be informed by one last news flash once the C-PRONE community is in the air.
3. Agenda setting
Through the exchange of insights and best practices the platform will have the practice based authority to address specific issues and topics that are important to consider or discuss at the level of local, regional and national government and/or by the European Commission and its advisory groups.
Target participants and audience
C-PRONE's main target group are representatives of projects, networks and organisations working with circular procurement in practice. They are active in projects or networks around the topic, and/or engaged in other initiatives. They want to connect to each other to learn the latest insights and exchange best practices. Together they can build and refresh a body of knowledge about circular procurement. Their role is to further share with their projects and connections.
The second targeted audience typically are professionals involved in circular and sustainable procurement. People with an ambition to apply and implement circular economy in their organisation. Being procurers, their clients and commissioners, policy makers, decision makers, circularity and sustainability advisors, et cetera.
Photo by Clinton Martel on Unsplash